National Cyber Emergency Response Team (National CERT) of Pakistan, in collaboration with National Telecommunication Corporation (NTC), has announced a Poster Design Competition as part of Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2026. The initiative aims to engage young digital creators and encourage university students to develop creative awareness material focused on cybersecurity, responsible technology use, and building a more secure digital environment in Pakistan. The competition invites students from relevant technology disciplines to use visual storytelling and original artwork to communicate important cybersecurity messages and promote safer online practices among individuals, families, and organizations.
The competition is open to university students enrolled in BS Computer Science, BS Cybersecurity, BS Artificial Intelligence, BS Data Science, and BS Computer Engineering programmes. Through the initiative, National CERT and NTC are encouraging students to contribute their ideas toward creating awareness around digital safety challenges and solutions. Participants can design posters based on multiple cybersecurity themes, including securing personal digital lives at workplaces and homes, protecting families from online risks, safeguarding Critical Information Infrastructure, reporting harmful or illegal online content, promoting responsible use of Artificial Intelligence, and preventing SMS based fraud and smishing attacks. The organizers highlighted that the competition is designed to empower students by providing them with a platform to combine creativity and cybersecurity knowledge while supporting national efforts to strengthen digital resilience.
Under the competition guidelines, participants are required to submit original human created artwork, with generative text to image AI tools strictly prohibited. The organizers have emphasized the importance of originality and creative expression, encouraging students to develop unique designs that effectively communicate cybersecurity awareness messages. Participants are advised to submit their designs in high resolution JPEG format for evaluation. The competition will recognize top performing participants with cash prizes and certificates, providing students an opportunity to showcase their creative skills while contributing to cybersecurity awareness efforts. The themes selected for the competition cover several important areas of online protection, including identifying phishing attempts, maintaining family safety online, protecting essential digital systems, reporting harmful content on social media platforms, understanding safe AI usage, and avoiding fraudulent SMS messages.
The initiative is part of Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2026, a collaborative effort by National CERT Pakistan and NTC to promote responsible digital behaviour and improve awareness about evolving cyber risks. Through youth participation, the organizations aim to encourage students to become active contributors in spreading cybersecurity knowledge across communities. Students interested in participating can submit their designs through the announced submission channel by October 10, 2026. By involving future technology professionals in cybersecurity awareness activities, National CERT and NTC seek to support the development of a cyber resilient Digital Pakistan and highlight the role of young innovators in addressing digital safety challenges. The competition reflects ongoing efforts to strengthen cybersecurity culture through education, awareness, and collaboration between government institutions and the next generation of technology professionals.
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